A request to pay a $455 bill for fire exit signs at Emory Valley Center has resulted in controversy for Anderson County Commissioner Robin Biloski, who is also an employee at the Center.

"This is not personal; this is about process," County Mayor Terry Frank told commissioners as she explained the problem during Tuesday's monthly County Commission meeting.

"I didn't mean to violate any kind of procedure," Biloski said later in the discussion on the issue, adding her apologies for creating dissension.

Earlier this month, the county Budget Committee chose to defer for 30 days a request from Biloski, an Oak Ridge resident, that the county reimburse the Center $455 for exit signs placed in the newly remodeled infant rooms at the Center. The signs had been called for by the fire marshal.

At Tuesday's Commission meeting, Biloski said she talked to County Law Director Jay Yeager about any possible conflict of interest pertaining to her role at the Center and he said there was none.

But the county mayor and Chris Phillips, county budget director — both Budget Committee members — spoke further on the issues behind the deferral. Frank said she hadn't wanted to bring up the issue at the County Commission meeting, that's why she'd wanted it deferred 30 days so she could investigate it more fully and then it could be voted on at Budget Committee.

Phillips said the Center, a nonprofit organization that operates out of the county-owned building on Emory Valley Road, was embarking on a new infant program. Frank said the county employee who deals with building issues had been asked to do some upgrading of the building and had installed new door knobs and some other things. She said he usually deals with Heather Gann at the Center and when Gann told him they needed the fire exit signs, he said he thought that was the Center's expense, not the county's, but he'd check at the Courthouse.

Frank said the Center employed Lewis Electric in Oak Ridge for the signs, which were installed, and then Biloski intervened, bringing the bill to the county government to pay.

That matter had not been dealt with first through County Purchasing Agent Pamela Cotham or the county budget department. There hadn't been a purchasing order issued for it, as is the mandated procedure.

"That is why I thought it (needed) a little bit of going over," Frank said, asking again that the matter be deferred 30 days.

Commissioner Dusty Irwin, also a member of the Budget Committee, said he is not opposed to the county paying the bill, but the proper steps need to be taken. He said Biloski had said the bill had been paid, but it has not and this has put Lewis Electric in the middle.

Page 2 of 2 - Commissioner Robert McKamey said it's a county building, it's mandated by the fire marshal, and they had already wasted $455 of time on the matter. He made a motion for the county to reimburse the Center for $455.

Commissioner Steve Mead of Oak Ridge said he also was not opposed to paying the bill, but suggested that approving it might set a precedent for others to do something like this and send the county the bill. He painted a scenario of perhaps another agency making a change to their programs in a county building, which would result in the Environmental Protection Agency mandating improvements.

"I had really hoped this wouldn't be a political thing," said Commissioner Tim Isbel, also a Budget Committee member. He said the Commission needed to pay the bill and let everyone know they have to have a purchase order.

The purchasing agent noted that if the Commission approves the matter she would have to note in her documents that the matter was done outside the purchasing office's procedures and ordered by Commission.

Biloski said the Center was hastily trying to get the new program in place by the start of the year.

"We have to look at making this building safe," she said, adding that the county has always "blessed" Emory Valley Center and its programs. She said in her role at the Center she acts as a liaison between the Center and other entities such as the city and county. She said she brought the request to the county government so that Gann, who is over education, wouldn't have to do so.

"We own it and there's a fire code violation," County Law Director Jay Yeager said. Calling the amount of time and discussion over the issue "almost silly," he said it is likely the fire code violation was there before the Center embarked on its new program.

The budget director said he was concerned by Yeager's comments on the matter being somewhat trivial. "I'm shaking right now," Phillips said.

McKamey's motion to reimburse the Center for $455 was voted down by an 8-6 vote of Commission with two commissioners abstaining — Biloski and Isbel. Voting in favor were Commissioners Chuck Fritts, Tracy Wandell, Steve Emert, Myron Iwanski, John Shuey, Mead and McKamey. Voting against were Commissioners Mark Alderson, Rick Meredith, Irwin, Zach Bates, Harry "Whitey" Hitchcock, and Creasey.

The matter was deferred until next month's Budget Committee meeting. County officials told Biloski a Center representative could come to the Budget Committee meeting and request that the county give a "donation" of $455 to the Center.